Lighting control system



July 8, 1941. P. HoLcoMB, JR ALIGHTING CONTROL SYSTEM Filed June 28. 1958 ATTORNEY Patented` July 8, 1.941

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIGHTING CONTROL SYSTEM Philo Holcomb, Jr., Great Neck, N. Y. Application .rune 28, 1988, seria1N0.z1s,202

6 Claims.

This invention relates to electricalcontrol systems and more particularly to remote control systems for house, office or ,factory lighting circuits.

In accordance With the invention, a simple and improved system is provided whereby the lights in a home or other building, in addition to being controlled by the individual control switches for 'each lamp cluster or set of lamps in the usual manner, may be turned on or olf in groups from one or morel master con-trol stations or convenientlyv located switches.

In a factory, oilice building or warehouse, the customary location of lighting controls makes it impractical or difcult for the watchman to make eflicient use of the electric lights in the building while making his round at night. Ordinarily the lighting installationy is'not used but the watchman carries a portable lantern or flashlight in order to avoid the labor and delay of operating a large number of individual switches the regular lighting fixtures. By utilizing the invention, the control of the lights either individually or in groups is rendered possible from convenient locations in accordance with the watchmans requirements and for other purposes. Preferably the system is arranged not to disturb or affect the lighted lamps, for example in occupied rooms or spaces, but only those that have been turned off by their individual switches.

In the home it is often desirable to control all of the lampsl from one control point, or from any one of several points, as for example to flood the house with light in an emergencyl or to make certain that all the lights `have been extinguished upon retiring. In case of attempted burglary or the presence of prowlers in the grounds surrounding a home. it is often possible to frighten the intruders away, even after entry has been effected, by lighting the rooms and porchesof the house. It is obviously. desirable to do this quickly and by means-of a master control switch located upstairs'or far removedr from the point at which entry ls being effected orattempted.'

If a. master control switch is also arranged to extinguish all of the lights or those likely to be left on, it is possible to insure against the common occurrence of Vlights left on in the cellar or elsewhere until accidentally discovered. It is also .possible with a system of this character for a person to turn on the lights in several rooms,

fr example when he entersr or leaves the house late at night, and then extinguish all of the lights from the upper hall or porch as the casey may be, thereby avoiding the necessity of traversing darkened rooms or hallways as at present. Other advantages of a lighting installation embodying the invention will be apparent.

It is an object of the invention to provide flexible lighting control systems whereby the value and usefulness of electric illuminating systems for homes, oillce buildings and the like may be enhanced as pointed out above and in other ways, and substantial economies obtained.

Another object of the invention is to provide voltage control circuits to facilitate installation.

and reduce lire-hazard, to mention only a few of its advantages.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description of the preferred embodiments thereof shown on .the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 isa circuit diagram of a system embodying the invention arranged to turnoff all lights that are o'n;y

Fig. 2 is a similar diagram of a system embodying the invention arranged to turn lights on or foif either individually or in groups by means of separate low-voltage control circuits; and

Fig. 3 is a circuit diagram of a system in which the lights which are turned oil at their individual switches may be turned on or off co1- lectively, as desired, from one or more master control stations.

The advantages ofthe invention may be real-4 ized in various systems designed to meet the varying requirements of different lighting installations. For example, the control switches mal7 be arranged to turn on and 01T the local lights in the conventional manner and, in addi-A tion to turn off collectively all .of the lights arranged for remote control. In the home this system will insure against lights being' left on in the cellar or in unused rooms for indenite periods, and in the factory or oiiice building, it will enable a watchman to use the regular lighting fixtures during his rounds without having to retrace his steps to turn out the lights. A control system `,of this character is shown in Fig. 1, wherein lights 35, 36 and 31 are arranged to be supplied with current from a supply circuit 38. A control conductor 39 of a .second or auxiliary supply circuit parallels the supply circuit 38. Switches at the control stations 40, lil and 42 are `provided for controlling the lights 35, 36 and 31 either individually or in groups, and auxiliary master or group control yswitches such as the switch 43 are provided Wherever desired for the purpose of extinguishing all ofthe lights that may be turned ori The control stations 40, 4I and 42 are similar and therefore a description of the control station 49 will suice. The individual controlfswitch 48 comprises a double-pole switch, which may be similar to the standard wall switch, having switch members 45 arranged to make and break -the circuit of the lamp or set of lamps 35 and also control the circuit of a release coil 46 connected in series relation with a resistor 41 to one side of the supply circuit 38. When the switch members 45 have been closed to turn on the associated light and the release coil 46 is energized as described hereinafter, the said members are released or unlatched and return to the open-circuit position asin the conventional latched circuit-breaker. -The release coil 46 may take the form of a solenoid for a magnetic latch mechanism or of a heating coil for a thermostatic will also kbel energized by the closure of any ofthe 'master control switches to extinguish the lamps 36 and 31 if these lamps are lighted. 'I'hus all of the lights which are turned on are siare closed as well as -by the closure of the master voltage (l0-20 volts), additional switches may lbe installed at convenient locations at negligible ad ditional expense. Among other variations may .bementioned 'the possibility of using portable switches which may be connected to extension cords plugged into wall or baseboard receptacles for use by invalids or for greater convenience under any circumstances.

lighting circuit as in the-conventional lighting system are neither inexpensive nor safe, sincei the high voltage conductors may Ibecome exposed Another system embodying certain features of vthe invention is shown in Fig. 3, wherein the sets of lamps 85, 86, 81 and 88 are adapted to be controlled by the individual control switches' 99; 9|, 92 and 93, respectively. The switches 9i, 92 and 93 differ from the switch 98 in that when they are thrown to the oi position, or to the y rightas shown in the drawing, the associated lamps are connected to anauxiliary supply circuit vconductor 89 adapted to complete the circuits of said lamps through a remote-control switch 94. Thus when the switch 94 is closed, any of the lamps 86, 81and 98, which are turned 0E at their individual control switches are turned on." The lamps 85 however are not aiected by the master control switch 94. This arrangement f is advantageous where the lighting loadis heavy multaneously turned off upon the closure' of any of the master or group control switches. `If it is desired that certain lamps of the system be not subject to remote control, the associated switches are not of the latched type or the release coils thereof are rendered inoperative in.

anydesired manner.

In the modified system shown in Fig. 2, the

y control circuits are independent of the lighting circuits. This arrangement has vtheadvantage 'pensive, may be run on or under the surface of walls or ceilings and may be extended or altered at any time at little cost.l lSince the circuit is of low potential, concentric wiring may be used'.

i This wiring comprises a central conductor insulated from a second surrounding conductor which is grounded, both conductors being enclosed in a protective sheath of'lead or other suitable material. In the specific embodiment shown, separate groups of lamps 50, 5| and 52 are energized from a supply circut 53 through `magnetically operated switches 55, 56 and 51, respectively. The switch 55 is -provided witha closing coil 69 and arelease coil 6| connected to the on and off individual control switches 62l and 63,

respectively. If desired, each of the operating magnets of the switch 55 may be provided with two windings as shown, one of which is -controlled by the individual control switches 62 and 63, and the others by master control switches 65 and 61. The switch 56 is operated Iby the coils 19 and 1I or the lamps are widely scattered since the auxiliary circuit conductor 89 does not extend to the various master control stations. The master -control switch 94 is provided with a closing mag` net 95 and a release magnet 86 connected to the master control stations, of which one is represented yby the push-buttons 91 and. 98, and another by the push-buttons 91a and 98a.

switches and anelectro-responsive'switch operwhen the individual control switches 12 and 13 75 Various other modiiications of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art andmay be f made without departing from the scope of the invention as indicated in the appended claims.-

- The claims of the present application aredirected to a system including remote-control or electromagnetic switches, broad claims being embodied in lmy copending led April 1, 1939.

l. 'An electric lighting system comprising lamps or sets of lamps for lighting different areas, a supply circuit, switches for individually connecting said lamps or sets of lamps to said supply circuit, an auxiliarysupply circuit to which certain of said lamps or setsof lamps are connectedl by their associated switches when the same are disconnected from said rst-mentioned vsupply circuit, and electrically controlled means including manually I operable master control application, Ser. No. 265,480,

atively associated therewith, and with said auxiliary supply circuit to turn on and off asa group the lamps which are connected at any moment to said auxiliary supply circuit bysaid iirst-mentioned switches.

2. An electric lighting system com l A v Y prising lamps or sets o f lamps for lighting different areas, a supply circuit, a plurality of individual control Arrangements of this. character where the switch directly controls the switches for individually controlling the connection oi.' the lamps or sets of lamps t'o said supply circuit, electro-responsive switch means for group control of said lamps and. means including said electro-responsive switch means 'and a common control circuit having convenient control points whereby the lamps that are turned on at any one of the convenient control points on said common control circuit can be extinguished from the same or anyother control point on said control circuit.

3. An electric lighting system comprising a supply circuit, lamps or sets of lamps for lighting CFI different areas, individual control switches one for each lamp or set of lamps, remote-controlled electro-responsive switch means for turning on or off as a group those lamps or sets of lamps which have been turned oil by said individual control switches without affecting the vlamps or sets of lamps which are on, and manually operable master control switches arranged to control saidelectro-responsive group switch means to light said .group of lamps from any one of two or more convenient points and then extinguish the same from any one of said points.

'4. An electric lighting system comprising a supply circuit, lamps or sets of lamps for lighting different areas, individual switch means -for individually controlling vthe connection of the lamps or sets oi lampsv to said supply circuit, a secondcircuit extending to certain y of said individual switch means, an electroresponsive master control switch operatively associated with said second circuit, means including said second `circuit and master control switch for simultaneously controlling as a group the lamps associated with said certain individual switch means and means whereby the operation of said group control means is dependent upon the positions of said certain individual switch means whereby the effectiveness of said group control depends upon the positions of the individual switch means.

5. An electric lighting system comprising `lamps or sets of lamps rfor lighting different areas, a supply circuit, a parallel control circuit,

, a plurality of switches .for controlling the conlamps or sets of lamps\for lighting ldifferent areas, a supply circuit, switches for controlling the connection of said lamps or sets of lamps individually to said supply circuit, each of said -switches embodying manually operable and electro-responsive elements whereby the same are both manually and automatically operable, and means including a second circuit kextending to certain ofl said switches for simultaneously actuating said last-mentioned switches.

PHILO HOLCOMB, Jn. 

